Industry and consumer confidence lag behind overall optimist expectations in RO

The positive evolution of the confidence levels of the managers in the sectors of trade, construction and services in Romania creates the grounds for investments in these sectors in 2020, said the chief economist of Banca Transilvania commenting on the European Commission's monthly survey on confidence in the economy.

The same survey revealed that consumer confidence has decreased, as well as the managers’ confidence in industry.

Improving confidence indicators in the cyclical sectors (construction, retail and services) to the highest levels in recent years, expresses favorable premises for investments in these branches of the economy in 2020.

“The confidence in the construction sector registered a monthly advance of 1.8 points to -1.5 points in January, the highest level since March 2008, an evolution that expresses the pre-requisites of a positive climate continuation in this capital and labor-intensive sector in the short term, "notes the chief economist of Banca Transilvania.

The retail confidence indicator increased in January 2020 by 7.5 points and reached 15.6 points, while the confidence indicator in services increased by 0.5 points to 10.5 points in January, the maximum from February 2018, with the dynamics being influenced by the prospects of accelerating the digitization process, the BT expert explained, quoted by Ziarul Financiar.

In contrast, the confidence indicator in industry and among consumers decreased in the first month of the current year.

"Consumer confidence in January dropped by two points in January to -6.6 points, amid opposite drivers: the increase of the real disposable income of the population counterbalanced by the high propensity for savings."

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